Reader Q&A: Blogger CurlyNikki on Trimming Natural Hair

Calling all naturalistas: Do you have urgent tress questions? If so, you're in luck. Every Thursday, natural hair blogger extraordinaire CurlyNikki will be solving your curly hair conundrums!

Check out the newest installment in CurlyNikki's reader Q&A series:

READER QUESTION:"Nikki, your ends look very healthy. How often do you get trims?”

CURLYNIKKI'S RESPONSE:

I know I'm overdue for a trim when detangling becomes more difficult than usual, and when I too easily run across split ends. So once every two months, I do what I call dusting or micro-trimming after my hair has been twisted. I survey the ends of each twist, and snip off the last 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch. This keeps my ends neat and detangling sessions short, while maintaining maximum length. I trim more depending on the state of my ends and how long it’s been since the last trim.

In between dusting sessions, “search and destroy” missions keep my ends sharp. I conduct “search and destroys” whenever I happen to grab a curl and can see more than a split end or two without straining. I do this while sitting in front of the TV, standing in the bathroom mirror, or even while on the internet. The lighting in all three situations is perfect! After snipping a few, I become anal and my sessions can last more than an hour. I cut just above the split or jagged end and apply moisturizer and oil as I go. After I finish, I'm usually on my way to re-style because it leaves me with a frizzy, undefined mess.

Be sure to only use hair scissors when trimming. This is VERY important! I purchase my scissors from Walmart, Sally's or Ulta and they usually run me between $10 and $20. I hide them from my husband and only use them for hair to keep them sharp. Dull scissors will do more harm than good!